Kindness Begins at Home

One of the many lessons I have learned since beginning this experiment in kindness is that kindness, like charity, really does begin at home, but it shouldn’t stay there. In order to be kind to others, you must first learn to be kind to yourself, and some days, that is a tall order indeed. Today was one of those days.

I woke up and immediately felt the familiar presence of anxiety coursing through my body, and my first reaction was one of frustration and defeat. Instinctively, I just wanted to hide under the covers until the feelings dissipated, but I knew that I could be there all day, if I tried to wait it out without taking action, and that simply was not an option. I knew that the kindest thing I could for myself today was to do the thing I wanted to do the least-get up and get to the task of living. So, I gingerly eased my way out of bed and into the waiting world. Throughout the day, I constantly and intentionally practiced the tried and true self-care measures that I know so well, but don’t always put into play. If you have ever dealt with anxiety and/or depression, you know that being able to take care of yourself, which can be as simple as showering and getting dressed, is no small feat on some days. I focused on being fully present for my daughters and attending to my physical, emotional, spiritual, and mental needs, and I took care of household tasks, such as doing laundry and paying bills. My feelings of defeat eventually gave way to feelings of triumph, as I made it the best day possible.

I was more than happy with what I did for someone else, as she has been a dear friend to me and deserves nothing but the best. I sent my friend tickets to a concert this summer for her, her daughters, and a guest of her choosing as a belated Christmas present. She works very hard to provide her girls with the best life possible, and she does so without much support at all from her ex-husband and nary a complaint. Originally, I was going to attend the concert with her, but due to a change in circumstances, I, unfortunately, am not able to go with her. As much as I wish that my original plans had not changed, I was glad that I now had the opportunity to do something special for her, as she has had to sacrifice so much over the past few years and deserves to have some fun.

So, as another comes to a close, I managed to keep my quest to do one positive thing for myself and others going, and I can’t wait to see what I can do tomorrow. It definitely is better to give than to receive, but it also felt good to do something for myself straight away this morning. Helping myself and others is a win-win every single time.